


Fireworks and Ferris Wheels

by florenceshy



Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: Alternate Universe - Idol AU, First Date, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-21
Updated: 2016-08-21
Packaged: 2018-08-10 03:36:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7828939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/florenceshy/pseuds/florenceshy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Comets, Brocades, Pearls and Crosettes, setting the sky alight in every colour of the rainbow.</p>
<p>As dazzling as the fireworks are, Sorey knows the thing he’ll remember best about this moment is the feeling of Mikleo tucked against his side.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fireworks and Ferris Wheels

**Author's Note:**

  * For [evr](https://archiveofourown.org/users/evr/gifts).



> started for Sormik Week, but yeaaaahhhhh didn't really work out
> 
> super-loosely based on an Idol AU I brainstormed with evr a long time ago, so naturally I'm dedicating this fic to you my wonderful-friend-person ❤❤❤

Mikleo looked at himself in the mirror, taking in the unfamiliar darkness of his hair. This was never going to work, not in a million years.  
  
“Are you ready to g-” Sorey poked his head around the doorway of the bathroom, “Wow, you look...”  
  
Ignoring the heat that creeps up the back of his neck, Mikleo turns to face his friend. “What’s with that pause?” Sorey opens his mouth to reply, but Mikleo cuts him off. “Nevermind, you don’t have to pretend. I know it doesn’t suit me at all.” Spinning around to look in the mirror again, he raises his hand to his hair and frowns.  
  
He’s so intent on his reflection, he doesn’t notice Sorey coming up behind him until strong arms slide around his waist. Resting his chin on Mikleo’s shoulder, green eyes find violet in the mirror. “I was gonna say you look really good, actually.”  
  
Embarrassed, Mikleo changed the subject. “How can we even be sure this will work? I mean, what i--” He didn’t get to finish because one of Sorey’s arms moved from around his waist, his fingers grasping Mikleo’s chin to turn his head to the side for a kiss.  
  
After a moment, Mikleo turned his body to wrap his arms around Sorey’s neck. The taller boy stepped forward, pressing Mikleo back against the bathroom counter. More often than not, there was always sense of urgency to their kisses. A desperate need to make the most of every stolen second of intimacy, before they had to pretend for the cameras again. Opening his mouth, Mikleo moaned as Sorey’s tongue swiped over his teeth before tangling with his own. Too long, it had been too long since they’d last had a day to themselves like this.  
  
Of all the demands that life as idols made of them, keeping their relationship a secret was the hardest. Their closest friends knew, of course. However, they had to appear available and obtainable for their fans. It was all well and good to play up their affections for each other for the tabloids, in a way that made it clear there was no substance behind it all. Any hints of a real committed relationship would be career suicide, though.  
  
Mikleo hated it sometimes, hated the way he had to watch girls throw themselves at Sorey. The brunette was the “friendly, approachable” one of their duo. Mikleo was the “tsundere ice prince”. He didn’t care much for the label, but at least it meant he could get away with less hands-on interactions with their fans sometimes.  
  
“Mm, S-Sorey,” Mikleo pulled back, breathing hard. “If we get too carried away, we’ll miss the festival.” By some amazing stroke of luck, their one rare day off fell on the same day as Ladylake’s Summer Festival.  
  
Sorey pouted, but that only lasted a moment before he broke into a smile and pressed another quick kiss to Mikleo’s lips. “ _You_ haven’t said anything about _my_ hair yet, how do I look?”  
  
Mikleo made a show of looking thoughtful before replying, “I don’t like it,” He teased and he couldn’t suppress his laughter when Sorey looked almost genuinely offended. “You make a terrible blonde, absolutely terrible.”  
  
Rose was the one who’d actually suggested using these temporary dyes to change their hair colours, so they could go out without being recognized.  
  
_“Alisha and I used them a few weeks ago. Add in a different hair style and some sunglasses and no one suspected a thing. We went to a movie and had lunch and we blended right in.”_  
  
Ever since then, Sorey had been bugging him relentlessly to try it out. When their day off aligned with this festival, Mikleo had finally given in. They’d never really been able to have a proper date before, he was both anxious and excited.  
  
“Alright, I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. Let’s go.” Mikleo said, trying to summon a confidence he didn’t really feel. “Remember, if you need to get my attention, call me Leo.”  
  
Sorey nodded. “You’re Leo and I’m Rey.”  
  
Mikleo was relieved Sorey seemed to be taking his precautions seriously. Stealing one last kiss, Sorey withdrew and Mikleo followed him back into their hotel room. Pulling a thin cardigan on over his button down shirt, the pale-haired boy waited by the door for Sorey. He could see the sun was just starting to set, the large floor to ceiling windows on the opposite side of the room made for quite a view. If they left now, they’d be able to arrive just as the festival kicked off.  
  
“Ready!’ Sorey practically bounced over to the door, excitement oozing from every orifice.  
  
They quietly snuck out of their hotel room and out the hotel’s back entrance. Since there was still a sliver of daylight, they opted to walk to the festival. Walking would prove a test of how well their disguises worked at concealing their identities. Mikleo had also donned a pair of fake blue-rimmed glasses, on top of his newly dyed brown hair.  
  
“See,” Sorey said quietly, after they’d been walking for about 15 minutes. “Everyone we’ve passed hasn’t looked twice at us.” Then—such was his belief in their newfound anonymity—Sorey reached out and took Mikleo’s hand in his.  
  
Heart racing, Mikleo feels his face burn and he has to look away. Sorey’s ensuing laughter manages to both soothe and frustrate him. The fairground where the festival is being held shines in the distance and Mikleo squeezes Sorey’s hand for reassurance.  
  
“Ah, look!” Sorey pointed with his free hand, “We can see the ferris wheel from here. We should save that for last, so we can end the night with a view of the whole city. What do you think?”  
  
That actually sounded like a really nice idea, not that Mikleo would admit it. “Such a romantic, Sorey. Let me guess, you’ve probably got some awful poetry memorized for the moment as well?”  
  
His teasing doing nothing to damper Sorey’s enthusiasm, he presses a kiss to Mikleo’s cheek. “You bet I do.”  
  
Mikleo groans and lightly jabs his elbow into Sorey’s ribs. It wasn’t that he didn’t appreciate Sorey’s efforts at romance, gods knew his best friend had a way of being unbearably sweet and lovey-dovey without even trying. It was just that Sorey also had a passion for poetry, but the poet laureate he was not.  
  
When they went to pay for their tickets at the entrance, the woman in the booth looked back and forth between the two of them and Mikleo swore his heart was about to beat right out of his chest. This was it, they were caught. He’d been stupid to think this would wo--  
  
“First date?” She asked as she turned back to Sorey.  
  
Sorey was the first to recover from his surprise at her question, “H-how did you know?” He said, their tickets completely forgotten for the moment.  
  
The woman smiled, reaching out to pat Sorey’s hand where it was resting on the edge of the counter. “I have a son about your age and he looked just like you two when he took his girlfriend on their first date.”  
  
Mikleo can’t help but blush under the scrutiny—albeit kind and well-intentioned scrutiny—of this complete stranger. The woman pushes the tickets into Sorey’s hand, waving away their attempts to pay. She winks and tells them to have a good time.  
  
“That was really...nice,” Mikleo can’t really find any other way to describe what just happened. “I didn’t think things like that could really happen outside of books and movies.”  
  
Sorey hums in agreement, excitement momentarily set aside for quiet appreciation. They walk slowly down the main alley, taking in the bright lights and all the colourful decorations. It’s already quite busy, but not to the point where they have to push past people or constantly ask for space to be made so they can pass.  
  
Vendors call out to passersby from the booths, advertising everything from toffee apples to Ring Toss. It’s almost impossible to decide what to do first, until Sorey’s stomach makes a very loud vocal protest.  
  
“I guess, food first then,” Mikleo laughs, suddenly feeling rather hungry himself. “What do you feel like?”  
  
Sorey looks around, eying the various food stalls that line the street. Eventually, they agree on a small crepe stall, mostly for its lack of a line. Mikleo chooses a simple strawberries and cream combination, while Sorey indulges with vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce and bananas. They spend the next half hour alternating between eating and taking turns to point out all the constellations they remember from their childhood nights of stargazing.  
  
“Sorey, wait!” Mikleo grabs Sorey’s arm when he goes to stand. “You’ve got chocolate on your face, hold still.” Out loud, he tuts about the Sorey’s messy eating habits. However, the comfortable familiarity of the situation brings a warmth to his chest that makes it impossible for him to do anything but smile as he wipes the stray sauce from Sorey’s chin.  
  
“Thanks, _Leo_. You’ve got something on your face, too.” Sorey says as Mikleo realizes he’d used the other’s real name by mistake.  
  
“What, where?” He was sure he’d wiped his face thoroughly after he’d finished. He reaches for his napkin, until Sorey leans over the table and kisses him on the corner of his mouth.  
  
“Here,” Sorey teases as he kisses Mikleo again on the tip of his nose and the curve of his jaw. “Here and here, too.”  
  
Mikleo finally manages to slip out from behind the table, only for Sorey to catch him around the waist and start tickling him. Mikleo tries desperately to wriggle away, but he’s trapped between the table and the seating area’s barrier.  
  
“I-I giv-ahah! I give up!” He finally manages to force out between breathless giggles.  
  
Sorey pulls back, grinning from ear to ear with his “victory”. Mikleo fights to catch his breath, taking a moment to see how much attention they’d drawn to themselves. He’s relieved and shocked to find no one is looking at them at all. He wonders if this is what it’s like to be a normal couple?  
  
“Are you alright? Was I too rough?” Sorey rests a gentle hand on his back, leaning over him in open concern.  
  
Mikleo shakes his head, “Sorry, I was just thinking.” He intertwines their fingers and pulls Sorey back out into the street. “Now that we’ve eaten, care for a wager?”  
  
“What kind of wager?” Sorey asks, but Mikleo can tell by the look on his friend’s face that he’ll go along with anything Mikleo suggests.  
  
“We’ll play some games and whoever has the most wins at the end of the night, gets a prize?” Just as he’d known he would, Sorey agrees right away.  
  
He drags Mikleo over to a booth lined with cork guns. Years of taking archery as a pre-teen means Mikleo more or less wipes the floor with him, hitting every target with ease. When it comes time to pick his prize, he opts for a small beaded bracelet. The single golden feather attached to it reminds him of Sorey’s ear-cuffs, he says as much as he pushes it onto the other’s wrist.  
  
Sorey is determined to win him something in return and their next stop is the fishing game. This one is mostly luck based, they have to retrieve 5 metal fish from the basin using a small toy fishing rod with a magnet on the end of the line. Each fish has a number on it and depending on what the number adds up to, determines if you get a prize. Mikleo ends up with 13 and doesn’t win anything. Sorey gets 21 and gets a small cheap-looking teddy bear with a dark blue ribbon tied around its neck.  
  
When Sorey gives it to him, Mikleo doesn’t tell him how the tiny button eyes are the exact same shade of green as his. He’s only able to fit the bear’s lower half into his pocket, but it goes in tightly enough that he’s positive it isn’t going to fall out while he walks.  
  
Next to the fishing booth is a couple of those “Test Your Strength” games, complete with oversized novelty mallets. Mikleo knows he has a snowball’s chance in hell of besting Sorey at this, but in the spirit of their competition he tries anyway.  
  
The each take one and as Sorey lifts the hammer high above his head, his t-shirt hikes up to expose his stomach. Mikleo’s eyes are drawn instantly to the sight. He’s so distracted that when he goes to hit the pressure pad, his hammer only bounces off the edge. The indicator travels a paltry halfway up the scale before dropping back down. Beside him, Sorey’s hits the bell with a piercing ring.  
  
“That was always going to happen.” He says as Sorey playfully pretends to flex his muscles for him. Mikleo is not staring at the way Sorey’s shirt pulls tightly against his chest while he’s doing it, he’s really not.  
  
“Turn around,” Sorey suddenly says, “That way it’s a surprise when I give it to you.”  
  
Mikleo smiles, shaking his head as he turns his back. He only hopes that Sorey doesn’t insist on choosing one of those gigantic plush toys that are as big as a person. There is _no way_ they’d be able to sneak that back into their hotel room OR hide it from the tour staff.  
  
“Okay, let’s go!” Mikleo doesn’t get a chance to turn around before Sorey takes his hand again, tugging him towards the other games.  
  
“Wait, didn’t you pick something?!” He almost trips over at the speed that Sorey is pulling him along.  
  
“I’ll give it to you later.” Is all Sorey tells him before dragging him into the nearby Mirror Maze.

  
  
  
It takes them until almost 9 o'clock to try all the games the festival has to offer. It’s Mikleo who finally suggests the ferris wheel to finish the night. When they get there, the attendant is calling for the last ride of the night. They made it just in time.  
  
“Looks like you’ve got the wheel all to yourselves, boys.” The attendant grins as he shuts the door on their compartment, his voice muffled through the thick metal and glass.  
  
The ferris wheel starts up with a slight jerk and Mikleo rests his head against Sorey’s shoulder as they slowly climb higher into the air. For a half a minute or so, they sit in comfortable silence.  
  
“This was really fun, wasn’t it?” Sorey suddenly says, sitting up straight. Mikleo pulls back and as soon as he does, Sorey moves to slip off his backpack. “Hey, Mikleo. Close your eyes, just for a second.”  
  
Mikleo has had a lot of fun tonight and he knows he owes it all to Sorey’s willingness to take a chance on the whole hair-dying plan. So, he does as he’s asked. “I swear on the gods, Sorey. If you start tickling me, I’ll kick you so ha-”  
  
Sorey doesn’t tickle him. Instead, he feels the other grab his wrist and place something thin into the palm of his hand. He closes his fingers around the object, observing the soft velvet texture of it.  
  
“Okay, you can look now.” Sorey says softly.  
  
Mikleo opens his eyes and looks down. It’s a rose. Not a real one, of course. It’s one of those fabric roses that you see sold around Valentine’s Day, with wire in the stem.  
  
“ _My love is like a rose divided into two_ , the leaves I give to others, but the rose I give to you.” Sorey’s hand comes up to rest against Mikleo’s cheek as he speaks, the touch feather-light. “I love you, Mikleo.”  
  
Sorey has always had a knack for being just so effortlessly romantic. It’s in his soul, Mikleo believes. That drive—almost a compulsion—to care for and make others happy. Mikleo is always a little bit overwhelmed when Sorey focuses that desire on him, just as he is now.  
  
Carefully removing Mikleo’s glasses, Sorey sets them down on the seat beside him. “Y’know, I think I won our bet earlier. What’s my prize?”  
  
“Come over here and get it.”  
  
The hand still holding the rose is crushed between their bodies as Sorey leans in to capture Mikleo’s mouth with his own. Reaching up with his free hand, Mikleo tangles his fingers in Sorey’s hair in an attempt to bring them closer together.  
  
Sorey groans in pleasure at the scrape of Mikleo’s nails against his scalp. He’d been very tempted to choose the large stuffed dolphin, owing to Mikleo’s love of the ocean. He knows now that he’d made the better choice.  
  
He’d seen the rose wound around the edge of the display, surely as a decoration. Almost instantly, the poem had wormed its way out from the depths of his memory and he’d known exactly what he wanted to do. He’d worried briefly that he wouldn’t be able to convince the man attending the game to give him the rose instead of one of the nominated prizes. In the end though, he’d just given Sorey an odd look before retrieving it.  
  
Mikleo makes a small sound of complaint when Sorey pulls away, craning his neck forward to chase the other’s lips. Sorey evades his attempt to continue their kiss, moving instead to nuzzle his face into the space between Mikleo’s neck and shoulder. Nosing aside the collar of his shirt, Sorey breathes deeply the scent of his lover’s skin and feels Mikleo shiver in response.  
  
Suddenly, a shrill whistling sound fills the air and they both turn to locate the source of the noise. With a loud _pop,_ an explosion of colour in the sky above paints the inside of their carriage in red.  
  
“Fireworks!” “Fireworks?” They both speak at the same time.  
  
A starburst of blue, followed by a sequence of rings in a myriad of hues. Passions tempered but not forgotten, they settle back against the seat to watch the show. Comets, Brocades, Pearls and Crosettes, setting the sky alight in every colour of the rainbow.  
  
Moving his arm to drape around Mikleo’s shoulders, Sorey holds him close as he rests his cheek atop the other’s hair. As dazzling as the fireworks are, Sorey knows the thing he’ll remember best about this moment is the feeling of Mikleo tucked against his side.  
  
Too soon, the last firework fades into embers and the ferris wheel slows to a stop.  
  
So much of their relationship is spent walking on eggshells, courting the possibility of discovery with every stolen touch. Sometimes, it’s exciting. More often than not, it’s exhausting and they’d be lying if they said it never caused any friction between them.  
  
That’s okay, though. For every argument they have, there are twice as many unspoken gestures to make up for them. A heat pack for sore muscles after a long day or an extra bottle of water during summer rehearsals. Just little things, done without fanfare or ceremony.  
  
And when they return to their hotel room that night, if Mikleo turns the TV up just a little bit too loud, that’s okay too. Stripping away the layers that separate them, Sorey thinks to himself if anyone in the neighbouring suites complains about the volume, they’ll apologize in the morning.  
  
Somewhere amidst the heated slide of skin against skin and errant exclamations only half-muffled, Sorey mourns the freedom they’d experienced tonight. No cameras, no fans, no expectations. No Sorey and Mikleo. Just two ordinary people who loved each other.  
  
He loved their work, but he knew the day would come where he’d throw it all away to claim Mikleo in front of the world. His love. His One and Only.  
  
Mikleo calls his name and he presses a kiss to those lips that sing such beautiful songs when they’re on the stage. However, it’s a different kind of music he craves from those lips right now.  
  
It isn’t long before they find a comfortable rhythm that satisfies them both, despite the fact that they’ve only had a handful of times to experiment with such things. Sorey moves with so much love and care on top of him, Mikleo can only bury his face against the the other’s neck and attempt to stifle the quietest of his sounds.  
  
Mikleo finishes first, always the more sensitive of the two of them. Sorey continues to move inside him—once, twice, three times—before reaching his own climax. Collapsing back onto the bed, they’re both completely and utterly exhausted.  
  
Mikleo reaches up with one hand to card his fingers through Sorey’s hair, as he waits for the other to recover enough to shift himself. They’ll have to get up early in the morning to wash the dye out of their hair before rehearsal, he thinks ruefully. His heart has only just regained its regular pace, when he feels his pulse quicken at the thought that maybe they could shower together to save time. It’d be risky, if one of their team came looking for them and found them like tha--  
  
“What are you thinking about?” Suddenly, Sorey speaks up and derails his train of thought. Propping himself up on his elbows, the brunette-now-blonde leans in to nuzzle his nose against Mikleo’s cheek.  
  
“N-nothing in particular. Just...taking a chance every now and again, might not be such a bad thing.” He gives a little tug on Sorey’s hair, trying to get him to pull back. “Don’t get any funny ideas, though!”  
  
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Sorey laughs as he rolls off of Mikleo, stretching out like a cat in the space next to him. “But, while we’re on the subject…”  
  
_Here it comes_ , Mikleo thinks. He should have just kept his big mouth shut.  
  
“I think I’d make a pretty good redhead, what do you think? For next time?”  
  
“Next time,” Mikleo snorts, shimmying over to rest his head on Sorey’s outstretched arm. “Go to sleep, Sorey.”  
  
He can feel the smile on Sorey’s lips when the other presses a quick kiss against his forehead. Closing his eyes as he feels arms encircling his waist, Mikleo tries to picture Sorey with red hair.  
  
“I’ve changed my mind, you don’t make such a terrible blonde after all.”

**Author's Note:**

> I s2g I'm still writing for First Confluence and Talk Some Sense To Me.
> 
> I work full-time now, so I don't have a huge amount of time for writing anymore but I'm adding bits and pieces whenever I find time and inspiration, so if any of y'all are still following me for those, hopefully I can have something for you soon :)
> 
> Thanks for reading my gay stuff and keep being awesome everyone~


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